Page 36 of Flip the Script


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Chapter 15

I LOOK UP FROM MY PHONE TO SEE THE PRESENTBryan peering over my shoulder to look at my screen.

“Um, excuse me?” I jerk my phone away. Whatever sympathy I had for Bryan quickly evaporates as I try to control my emotions.

He slowly stretches out his hands in a gesture of peace and says, “Hana, I’m so sorry.”

I think back to how panicked I was as I tried to figure out a way to the tower. About how frantic I was to escape from the paparazzi. Anger rises up inside me and comes out in the low trembling of my voice. “Why would you post something like that? What were you thinking?”

“I thought it’d help us. The whole point of today’s date is to get as much attention as possible, right? So I figured, why not let everyone know about it? I thought it’d be okay since our teams were doing their best to secure the area.... It didn’t occur to me that a big crowd would make it harder for us to getup to the mountain in the first place. My manager called me the moment she saw my story and told me to take it down, so I did. But yes, totally my fault. Won’t happen again, I swear. In fact, next time, I’ll check in with you personally before I post anything like that.”

Next time.Bryan’s apology seems genuine enough, but my throat still goes dry at just the mention of another date. I’m not sure if I can even make it through this one, and Bryan’s already talking about the possibility of another.

Tell him, I think. I want to be sensitive and wait to tell him I don’t share any real romantic feelings for him—especially since he just opened up to me. But it’d be completely unfair of me to go on this date without telling him the truth, especially since I’m pretty sure he actually really likes me.

I glance up at the mountain to see our progress. We’re seconds away from the top. I don’t have enough time to tell Bryan now.

When we exit the cable car, I’m half expecting to get ambushed. Even though Sophia reassured me that the security would be tighter this time around, I can’t entirely shake my fear away.

But fortunately, the only person waiting for us is Mr. Lee.

“Our team contacted the staff of the tower and asked to keep this area off-limits while you make the rest of your way to the tower,” he explains when he sees my confused expression. “Seemed like a safety hazard to have a crowd up here waitingon the steep steps. There are a lot of people at the tower itself, though. And we’ll remove the blockades once you guys reach the summit.”

“Whereisthe tower?” I ask, looking around. “I thought this cable car was supposed to take us to its base.”

I had a clear view of Namsan Tower while we were on the cable car, but from where we’re standing now, all I see are a bunch of wooden steps and trees.

“The trees are blocking the view of it right now,” Bryan explains. “But we’re really close. We just have to follow the steps up to the base. It’s impossible to miss.”

As we head up the trail, I begin seeing clumps of colorful, rusted locks on the fence lining our path. The closer we get to the tower, the more locks I see. Soon, there are so many pink, yellow, and other brightly colored locks that the actual brown wood of the fence is no longer visible. All the heart locks make me super uncomfortable.

“We’re almost there,” Bryan says. “It’s just around this corner.”

It’s now or never!

I grab Bryan’s hand before he can turn the corner.

“Wait, I have to tell you something,” I blurt out. “I should have told you this before, but the timing wasn’t right. The timing isn’t good now, either, but it’s only going to get worse the more I wait.”

Bryan takes a step back, looking very confused.

I swallow and look down at my shoes. “I don’t like you the same way you like me. Or at least, I don’t think I do, especially not this early. I actually thought you were really annoying until recently. I do want to be friends, though. If you’re up for it.”

“Oh,” he says with a short laugh. “Okay. Wow, this makes today really awkward then.”

“I’m still willing to go through with this fake-dating thing for the good of the show,” I add. “But if you don’t want to anymore, I’d understand.”

Please say you don’t want to anymore.

Bryan nods, looking like he’s in deep thought.

“Nah,” he finally says. “We should still go through with everything. We have to do our best to get as many views as possible.”

I try not to show my disappointment.

“Well, if you’re sure.”

I’m about to turn away when Bryan adds, “Wait. You said it’s too early for you to have feelings for me. But that doesn’t mean you won’t ever get them in the future, right?”


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